In fact, states with the most abortion restrictions have some of the worst outcomes when it comes to women's and children's health.

On August 1, the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) published the second volume of their reproductive rights report Evaluating Priorities, examining anti-abortion policies and whether or not they are backed up by scientific evidence. The report asked, are these anti-choice policies science-based? Do these laws help the women and children that policymakers claim they're protecting?

The report found that the shift in focus to fetal health by anti-choice politicians was due largely to the decision rendered in 2016's Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, which essentially determined that the Texas state government could not create undue burdens for women seeking abortions, given that there is no proof that these procedures have a negative health impact on the mother.

The report, a collaborative effort between the CRR and Ibis Reproductive Health, found a downright disturbing correlation between abortion restrictions and negative impact on women's and children's health. "[The] more abortion restrictions a state has passed, the fewer evidence-based supportive policies exist, and the poorer the health and well-being outcomes for women and children," the report said.

The report made a clear connection between reproductive rights and health outcomes for children:

Among the states that met four or more children's health benchmarks, the number of abortion restrictions in place ranged from 0 to 14 (median=5). Conversely, in states that met three or fewer benchmarks, the number of abortion restrictions in place ranged from 1 to 14 (median=12).
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Prior research has linked reproductive rights and other indicators of women's status with better outcomes for children, such as lower infant mortality.

Additionally, Evaluating Priorities considered variables that might negatively impact health, such as social, economic, and environmental factors, but the conclusion was still the same.

The more abortion restrictions on the books, the worse the health outcomes for women and children.